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I stared out into the street. “I don’t know how to feel. There is a tiny bit of relief in not having to keep it from him, but there’s a hole in my heart now.”

He exhaled. “You know what they say… ‘What’s done in the dark will come to light.’ This was inevitable. You would’ve broken at some point and told him. It sucks for him to find out like this, but keeping it inside and deceiving him also sucked.”

I examined his face. “I was expecting you to be a little less calm about this, or even mad at me for being careless.”

“How would that be fair? We did this together.”

Calder suddenly burst through the front door and onto the sidewalk, but he said nothing to either of us. He simply headed down the street. I had no idea where he was going, but something told me it might’ve been a local bar. Or maybe he was going to fuck someone to get back at me. Perhaps he just couldn’t stand the thought of having to look at me tonight.

“Let’s get you inside,” Rafe said, placing his hand at the small of my back. “You’ve been through a lot and need to take care of yourself. Drink some water.”

I hugged my arms and followed him upstairs to my apartment.

I went to the couch and sat, pulling a throw blanket over me. Rafe poured me a glass of water.

“Thank you,” I said before downing it.

He joined me on the couch.

“What if he comes back and finds you here?” I set the glass on the coffee table.

“How could that possibly make anything worse than it already is, Talia? It’s not like we’re naked. I’m just making sure you’re okay because I’m equally responsible for what’s going on right now. I’m not leaving you alone.”

Nodding, I reached for his hand. We threaded our fingers together.

I finally turned to him. “I think I need to consider going back to Montana.”

Rafe shook his head. “Don’t make any rash decisions right now. This is not the time. We have to let this play out.”

“If he asks me to leave, I have to, Rafe.”

“No, you don’t,” he insisted.

“Where the hell would I go?”

“You’ll stay with me.”

My eyes widened. “Wouldn’t that be like throwing salt in his wound?”

“You have a job here, Talia. Don’t give up everything you’ve earned because of a mistake.”

That word hurt. I clutched my chest. “Are we a mistake?”

He shook his head. “We’re not a mistake. But the way we went about it is, if that makes sense.”

“Unfortunately, it does.”

We sat quietly together as I fell into an abyss of fearful thoughts.

“I really do think you should go downstairs, Rafe.”

He heaved a sigh and stood. “If it makes you feel better, I will. But promise to call me if you need me. If he comes back here drunk or angry, you text me. Understand? I’ll come right up.”

“Okay.” I repositioned the blanket over myself.

“I’ll leave the door open,” he said, placing a gentle kiss on the side of my head.

After Rafe left, I sat alone, overcome with grief.